1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a combination vessel of a cap type sealing tool and a bottle portion having a specifically shaped external wall, and a combination vessel of a cap type sealing tool including a cap portion and a ring portion, and a bottle portion. More particularly, the present invention relates to a combination vessel of a cap type sealing tool in which a lower surface of the cap portion and an upper surface of the ring portion are coupled to each other through a plurality of bridge parts which can easily be broken, and a bottle portion having a specifically shaped external wall. Each bridge part couples the lower surface of the cap portion to the upper surface of the ring portion, and is broken via rotation of the cap portion in a cap portion opening (unsealing) direction. The ring portion is always slid downwardly while a sliding protrusion provided in a lower stage area of an internal wall contacts, by pressure, an upward spread zone formed on an external wall of a neck area of the bottle portion.
In addition, the present invention relates to a combination vessel of a cap type sealing tool and a bottle portion without any possibility that a contact lens dropped from holding structure by mistake might adhere to a bottom surface of a bottle area, because of formation of specific concavo-convex shapes on a bottom of an internal wall of the bottle portion. A suspending member extends from a bottom (back) surface of a top plate part of the cap portion, and a mutual relationship among vertical convexities to block an opening turn (e.g. non-return type vertical protrusions, non-return type vertical trenches, non-return type ratchet) is established to realize a xe2x80x9ctemporary mountingxe2x80x9d state in order to prevent the holding structure, for maintaining the contact lens or the like, from being deformed. In addition, the xe2x80x9ctemporary mountingxe2x80x9d state is very preferable when supplying the vessel to customers who are to supply contents at their end, wherein a vessel in the xe2x80x9ctemporary mountingxe2x80x9d state means that the vessel can be opened without breakage of the bridge parts unless the cap portion is further rotated.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to a combination vessel of a cap type sealing tool and a bottle portion which can continuously achieve a cap portion closing state, from which the cap portion is capable of easily being opened while also maintaining airtightness of a filled solution when the cap type sealing tool is turned in a cap portion closing direction beyond the temporary mounting state.
2. Description of the Related Art
A distribution bottle portion (which is used on a distribution route) of an RGP contact lens to be used as a bottle portion constituting a combination vessel according to the present invention is a combination vessel mainly constituted by three members, namely, a cap portion, a suspending tool (holding member) extending from a lower surface of a top plate part of the cap portion, and a bottle portion.
A conventional coupling seal tool (virgin cap) of this kind is a structure obtained by coupling a cap portion, screwed to an outer periphery of a neck area of a bottle portion, and a ring portion through a plurality of thin bridges extended from a lower end surface of the cap portion. When the cap portion is usually turned in a closing direction during cap portion opening, the following non-return (check) function results. Specifically, a projection, to block an opening turn of the cap portion (downward projection), provided on the lower end surface of the cap portion is engaged with a projection, to block the opening turn of the cap portion (upward projection), provided on the upper surface of the ring portion to turn the ring portion. Also, a vertical projection, to block an opening turn of the cap portion (ratchet), provided on an internal wall surface of the ring portion is engaged with a vertical projection (ratchet) provided on an external wall surface of a neck area of the bottle portion to block rotation of the ring portion.
Consequently, in addition to the function to block the opening turn of the cap portion, the bridge is broken by a downward pressing force (push-down force) applied when the lower projection is positioned over the upper projection positioned on the right side thereof so that the ring portion is brought down and only the separated cap portion can be turned. There has been an advantage in that it is possible to determine whether a cap portion has already been opened or not by looking at the bridge and determining if it has been broken.
The foregoing proposals of this kind include the following examples. Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. 7-21556 (1995):
This proposal relates to a xe2x80x9cprevention against an incorrect opening of capxe2x80x9d 1 formed by a bottomed cylindrical cap body 2 and a ring 3 adjacent to a lower end surface thereof. A sawtooth type pressing projection 7 is provided extending downwardly at two portions on the lower end surface, while a sawtooth pressure receiving projection 10 is provided extending upwardly from an upper surface of the ring 3. Next, the lower end surface of the cap body 2 is coupled to the upper surface of the ring 3 through several coupling pieces 4.
Furthermore, the sawtooth type pressing projection 7 is engaged with a projection of the ring 3 when a screw, provided on an internal wall of the cap body 2, is turned in a closing direction, and is not engaged with the projection of the ring 3 when the cap 2 is turned in an opening direction. In addition, eight vertical convexities 13 are provided extending inwardly from an inner periphery of a small diameter portion 3a of the ring 3. The vertical convexities 13 are not engaged with a sawtooth type vertical projection 25 provided on an external wall of a bottle member 20 when the cap 2 is turned in a closing direction, and are engaged with the sawtooth type vertical projection 25 when the cap 2 is turned in an opening direction.
Accordingly, when the cap 2 is once turned slightly in the closing direction, it is stopped in such a stage that a vertical convexity 13 provided on the internal wall thereof is positioned over the vertical projection 25 provided on the external wall of the bottle member 20, and is then turned in an opening direction such that the ring 3 positioned in a lower stage is turned together in the opening direction. As a result, the cap 1 can be removed from a neck portion of the bottle member 20 so that a bottle can be opened.
Referring to normal downward movement and predetermined position, fixation of ring portion 12 after opening of the bottle with such a structure so that the cap 1, to be part of the combination vessel according to the present invention, is mounted on an upward spread zone of the bottle member 20; however, a prevention system for preventing any incorrect opening of the cap 1 has been neither disclosed nor suggested. In other words, it is necessary to provide a press-interposing function through formation of a taper area (provision of a sliding protrusion 12uc or the like) in a lower stage of an internal wall of ring portion 12, and to carry out cooperation thereof with an upward spread (downward taper) area provided on an external wall of a neck area 2m on the bottle portion side in order to achieve normal downward movement of the ring portion 12 after bridge part 13 is broken according to the present invention. However, this aspect has been neither disclosed nor suggested in Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. 7-21556 (1195).
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 9-58720 (1997):
This proposal provides an improvement in a bottle member (which will be referred to as a xe2x80x9cbottlexe2x80x9d) 1. The bottle member 1 has a thread 2 protruded only in an upper stage portion of an external wall of a neck area thereof. A middle stage portion of the external wall is smooth, a lower stage portion of the external wall is provided with a plurality of sawtooth and upwardly spread vertical projections 3, and a lower end of the neck area is provided with a flange-shaped projection 4.
It is supposed that the bottle 1 is to be used in a combination vessel with a separation type cap 5 having a specific structure. The separation type cap 5 to be used in a combination vessel with the bottle 1 has such a structure that a break ring 52 is coupled through several bridges 7 which are spaced from a lower end surface of a cap body 51 via space 6.
When the cap body 51 is turned rightwardly, a stopper 8a protruded downwardly from a lower end surface of the cap body 51, and a stopper 8b protruded upwardly from an upper surface of the break ring 52, are engaged with each other to maintain the bridges 7. When the cap body 51 is turned leftwardly (in a reverse spiral direction), both stoppers 8a and 8b are not engaged with each other and the cap portion 51 is independently turned to break the bridges 7.
The following engagement is also related to the breakage of the bridges 7. The following engagement implies that several projections 9 are provided to extend centrally from an internal wall of the break ring 52, and are engaged in a direction of specific turn with the sawtooth type projections 3 provided in the lower stage of the external wall of the neck area in the bottle member 1, so that turn of the break ring 52 is blocked. The direction of the specific turn indicates that the cap 5 is turned leftwardly (in an opening direction) and can be engaged with a projection 9 provided on an internal wall of the break ring 52, thereby blocking the leftward turning.
The above-mentioned Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 9-58720 (1997) has neither disclosed nor suggested a mechanism for producing a function of always pulling a ring potion 12 downwardly, after breakage of a bridge part 13 caused by an opening turn, for a combination vessel of the present invention. More specifically, it is necessary to perform a press interposing function through formation of a taper area (the provision of the sliding protrusion 12uc or the like) in a lower stage of an internal wall of the ring portion 12, and to carry out cooperation thereof with a formation of an upward spread zone (lower tapered area) on an external wall of a neck area 2m on a bottle portion 2 in order to always achieve downward movement of the ring portion 12 after breakage of the bridge part 13 in the present invention. However, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 9-58720 (1997) neither discloses nor suggests this aspect.
In any one of the conventional coupled sealing tools described above, a ring is fitted externally in a neck area of a bottle after a cap is removed during cap opening, and is hardly removed erratically. More specifically, since the ring is hardly removed by itself from an outer periphery of the neck area of the bottle portion, it is often left alone. However, the left alone ring is erratically apt to drop from the neck area while an operation for pouring contents from the bottle portion is repeated. As a result, there has been caused an unfavorable contamination or scattering while the contents are thus poured out. In the case in which the contents are chemicals, foods, seasonings, beverages or the like, the contamination or the like is serious.
Considering the above-mentioned situations, the present invention has been completed and is intended for utilizing free rotation of a cap portion (rotation separate from that of a ring portion) during opening of the cap portion as is necessary for breakage of a bridge part caused by prevention of an accompanied turn of the ring portion, a subsequent pull-down of the ring portion and the like. More specifically, the present invention is intended for blocking the accompanied turn of the ring portion to be caused by rotation of the cap portion during opening of the cap portion, breaking the bridge part coupling the cap portion to the ring portion, always pulling down a separated ring portion along an upward spread zone of a neck area of a bottle portion, and finally fixing the ring portion to a lower end of the upward spread zone. The present invention employs such a structure wherein a sliding protrusion centrally extends from an internal wall in a lower stage area of the ring portion as structure for always carrying out the pull-down action for the ring portion, and utilizes elasticity of the ring portion to always slide it downwardly while pressing against the upward spread zone of the external wall of the neck area in the bottle portion.
Moreover, Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. 56-131362 (1981) discloses a commercial combination vessel comprising a bottle portion for a contact lens to be used for a combination vessel according to the present invention. The commercial combination vessel is used after a contact lens is accommodated and sterilized in order to protect the contact lens from contamination by microorganisms or the like for longtime preservation. In this case, examples of a sterilizing method include high pressure steam sterilization, EOG (ethylene oxide gas) sterilization, high energy ray(beam) sterilization which uses electron beams (cathode rays) or gamma rays, and the like.
However, the electron beam sterilization has a problem of deterioration of material of the bottle portion, and the EOG sterilization tends to be avoided worldwide. Therefore, it has been eagerly desired that a bottle portion which is susceptible to the high pressure steam sterilization is to be employed so that the high pressure steam sterilization can be used as an inexpensive and safe sterilizing procedure. However, selection of materials which can be used for high pressure steam sterilization has been limited. In addition, although a soft material is preferable for a material of a suspending tool in the bottle portion, such soft material is too easily deformed by high pressure steam sterilization. Therefore, desired is a combination vessel that comprises a cap type sealing tool which can be temporarily mounted with a bottle portion to be subjected to high pressure steam sterilization.
As another problem, if an internal annular portion suspended from a bottom surface of a top plate part on an inside of a cylindrical portion of the cap portion is pressed into a mouth of a bottle portion by an opening turn in order to enhance airtightness in the bottle portion, the airtightness can be enhanced but a torque required for opening the cap portion is also increased. As a result, there is a drawback in that the cap portion cannot be opened easily. This drawback is particularly serious for a user having some handicap with regard to functioning of hands or fingers.
As a further problem, when a small-sized object, which is accommodated in the bottle portion or is being processed in the bottle portion, for example a contact lens or the like, is dropped into a bottom area of the bottle portion by mistake, a flat face on a surface of the contact lens often sticks to and comes into close contact with the bottom area of the bottle portion. Therefore, the lens cannot easily be removed. Such a situation has resulted in some cases.
The present invention can exert expected effects by employing at least one of the following aspects.
1) A first aspect of the present invention is directed to a combination vessel comprising a cap type sealing tool formed by a cap portion having a bottomed cylindrical shape and a ring portion coupled to a lower end surface of the cap portion so as to be easily separated therefrom, and a bottle portion including an upward spread zone provided on an external wall of a neck area. At least two bridge parts to be easily broken are coupled to, and positioned in a gap between, the lower end surface of the cap portion and an upper surface of the ring portion. When turning is carried out in a direction to close the cap portion, opening turn blocking convexities (projections), extending inwardly from an internal wall of the ring portion, and vertical convexities, to block a cap portion opening turn, extending outwardly from an external wall of the bottle portion engage one another. At least one of the convexities to block the opening turn of the cap portion provided on the external wall of the bottle portion is a high vertical convexity. The ring portion is pulled down while a sliding protrusion provided on an internal wall in a lower stage area of the ring portion always contacts, by pressure, an upward spread zone of the neck area of the bottle portion simultaneously with or subsequently to breakage of the bridge parts coupling the lower end surface of the cap portion to the upper surface of the ring portion.
2) A second aspect of the present invention is directed to a combination vessel comprising the cap type sealing tool and the bottle portion according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the ring portion has a ratio of an inside diameter, of a circle connecting edge line portions of a plurality of sliding protrusions extending centrally from an internal wall in a lower stage area of the ring portion, to an outside diameter, of an external wall of the neck area of the bottle portion, set to 0.85 to less than 1.0. And, the ring portion is pulled down while always pressing against the upward spread zone of the external wall of the bottle portion.
3) A third aspect of the present invention is directed to the combination vessel comprising the cap type sealing tool and the bottle portion according to the first or second aspects of the present invention, wherein the sliding protrusions extending centrally from the internal wall in the lower stage area of the ring portion each have a shape selected from a nearly dot-like protrusion and a nearly straight convex, and have a cross-sectional shape slightly rounded at sliding surfaces thereof and selected from at least one of a nearly triangular shape, a nearly tapered trapezoidal shape, a nearly semicircular shape and a nearly mushroom shape.
4) A fourth aspect of the present invention is directed to a combination vessel comprising the cap type sealing tool and the bottle portion according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, wherein agradient of the upward spread zone formed on the external wall of the neck area of the bottle portion is set to 0.15 to 1.4, which is expressed in the smallest space between end faces of the upward spread zone (an outside diameter of an upper end face and an outside diameter of a lower end surface in the upward spread zone).
5) A fifth aspect of the present invention is directed to a combination vessel comprising the cap type sealing tool and the bottle portion according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, wherein when turning is carried out in a direction to close a cap portion such that the convexities to block an opening turn of the cap portion, extending inwardly from the internal wall of the ring portion, and the vertical convexities, to block an opening turn of the cap portion, are engaged with each other, a mutual relationship of the engagement is established whereby a temporary mounting state can be realized by blocking the opening turn just at the time when a convexity to block an opening turn of the cap portion is positioned over a first of the vertical convexities.
6) A sixth aspect of the present invention is directed to a combination vessel comprising the cap type sealing tool and the bottle portion according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, wherein when turning is carried out in a direction to close a cap portion such that the convexities to block an opening turn of the cap portion, extending inwardly from the internal wall of the ring portion, and the vertical convexities, to block of an opening turn of the cap portion of the bottle portion, are engaged with each other, a part, to block rotation as soon as possible after a convexity to block an opening turn of the cap portion is positioned over one of the vertical convexities, is provided in such a position as to have a rotational angle of up to 15 degrees with respect to a center of the cap portion after a final rotation, thereby preventing overfastening.
7) A seventh aspect of the present invention is directed to a combination vessel comprising the cap type sealing tool and the bottle portion according to any one of the first to sixth aspects of the present invention, wherein an internal annular portion projecting from a slightly inside portion, relative to a peripheral edge, of a bottom surface of a top plate part of the cap portion is pressed into an opening of the bottle portion upon rotation to maintain airtightness in the bottle portion. An outside diameter reducing range of the internal annular portion, which is generated by the pressing, is 0.5 mm or less with respect to an outside diameter of 20 mm.
8) An eighth aspect of the present invention is directed to a combination vessel comprising the cap type sealing tool and the bottle portion according to any one of the first to seventh aspects of the present invention, wherein at least one of the vertical convexities to block an opening turn of the cap portion provided on the external wall of the bottle portion is a high vertical convexity.
9) A ninth aspect of the present invention is directed to a combination vessel comprising the cap type sealing tool and the bottle portion according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, wherein a height degree (R %) of the high vertical convexity is 10 to 45%, and is expressed by an equation of R=100xc3x97(Ltxe2x88x92Ls)/Ls, with a length of the high vertical convexity being represented by Lt and a length of an ordinary vertical convexity being represented by Ls.
10) A tenth aspect of the present invention is directed to a combination vessel comprising the cap type sealing tool and the bottle portion according to any one of the first to seventh aspects of the present invention, wherein a plurality of concavo-convexities are present in a bottom area of the bottle portion, with a top spacing therebetween being 15 to 90% of an outside diameter of a contact lens, and with a difference in height therebetween being at least 5% of a thickness at a nearly central position of the contact lens.
11) An eleventh aspect of the present invention is directed to a combination vessel including a cap type sealing tool formed by a cap portion having a bottomed cylindrical part and a ring portion coupled to a lower end surface of the cap portion so as to be easily removed therefrom, wherein the cap type sealing tool can be turned in an opening direction even when it has been temporarily mounted to a bottle portion and positioned over a first vertical convexity on an external wall of a neck zone of the bottle portion, so as to remove the cap type sealing tool from the bottle portion to feed contents into the bottle portion.
By using the combination vessel comprising the cap type sealing tool with the bottle portion according to the present invention, the following various effects can be realized.
(1) Engagement between the vertical convexities on the internal wall surface of the ring portion and the vertical convexities on the external wall of the bottle portion, is caused via a leftward turn (a turn to open) of the cap portion so that an accompanied turn of the ring portion is blocked. On the other hand, the cap portion is turned as it is so that the bridge parts are broken. As a result, the ring portion is pulled down to the upward spread zone of the external wall of the bottle portion while always contacting by pressure the sliding protrusions provided axially in the lower stage of the internal wall.
Consequently, the ring portion finally reaches the lower end of the upward spread zone and is fixed thereat.
(2) By viewing the state of the bridge parts, it is apparently clear to determine whether the cap portion is opened or not.
The above and further purposes and features of the invention will be more fully apparent from the following detailed description with accompanied drawings.
(3) The cap type sealing tool can be turned in the opening direction even when it has been temporarily mounted to the bottle portion in a stage where a vertical convexity on the inner surface of the ring portion is positioned over a first vertical convexity on the external wall of the neck zone of the bottle portion so as to remove the cap type sealing tool from the bottle portion in order to feed contents into the bottle portion.